This invention relates to a guide passage and storage device by means of which empty bobbins discharged from the winder are guided towards supply sections for empty bobbins associated with the bobbin changer of the spinning frame.
In keeping pace with the automation of the spinning process, a spinning frame directly coupled to a winder has become very popular. In this case, fully packaged bobbins prepared in the spinning frame are transferred to the winder where the yarn is unwound from the bobbin into a package and the empty bobbins discharged from the winder are automatically supplied to empty bobbin supply sections associated with the automatic bobbin changer of the spinning frame, so as to be used again for winding the yarn at the spinning frame.
In the abovementioned system, it is necessary to temporarily store the empty bobbins returned from the winder. As such storage means, there is disclosed in the Japanese Provisional (laid-open) Patent Publication No. 106630/1979 a device for storing empty bobbins on an empty bobbin return conveyor provided at a position above the main part of the spinning frame.
In this device, the empty bobbins are placed on the return conveyor with the large ends of the bobbins oriented in the proceeding direction of the return conveyor which is driven permanently. The empty bobbins are stored sequentially in a line at the conveyor end in the lengthwise direction with the aid of the empty bobbin stopper as the bobbins are transported on the conveyor. The stopper is turned on and off for forwarding the empty bobbins to empty-bobbin supply sections of the automatic bobbin changers annexed to the spinning frame.
In this prior-art device, the conveyor is likely to be worn out because it is driven permanently and moreover the empty bobbins are stored thereon in sliding contact therewith. In addition, the operational timing of the bobbin stopper needs to be controlled by complicated control means.
Instead of driving the bobbin return conveyor permanently, it may be driven only when required to supply the empty bobbins to the spinning frame. In this case, however, the conveyor drive control system may be complicated. In addition, when the empty bobbins should be transported from the winder during the conveyor dwell time, these bobbins are accumulated at the loading side of the conveyor while it is impossible to load these empty bobbins on the conveyor.